Egypt Watcher Confident Democracy Will Prevail

08:32

February 17, 2012

Dr. Farouk El-Baz, who was an adviser to late Egyptian leader Anwar Sadat, says Egypt is experiencing normal post-revolution shockwaves and that he expects democracy to prevail. (Jesse Costa/Here & Now)

The leader of Egypt's largest Islamist party has rejected U.S. threats to cut aid over a spat about nonprofit groups operating in the country, saying they are out of line and could imperil the peace deal with Israel.

The comments by Mohammed Morsi, the leader of the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, were carried by the state news agency Thursday and were posted on the party Facebook page.

Egyptian fans of Cairo's Al-Ahly soccer club, known as Ultras, protest in front of the office of the prosecutor in central Cairo to demand justice for the dozens killed in stadium violence earlier this month. At top a poster showing one of the killed fans. Arabic at top left read " freedom." (AP)

Egypt claims the four U.S. groups are fomenting protests against the country's military rulers and sowing discord. Judges have referred 16 Americans, including six currently in Egypt and barred from traveling, and 27 others to criminal court. No date for the trial has been set yet.

This flap has raised questions over Egypt's ability to transition to a full democracy.

But Egyptian-born Dr. Farouk El-Baz, who was an adviser to late Egyptian leader Anwar Sadat, says Egypt is experiencing normal post-revolution shockwaves. He's confident that democracy will prevail.

Guest:

Dr. Farouk El-Baz, professor of Geology at Boston University and science adviser to the late Egyptian President Anwar Sadat

This segment aired on February 17, 2012.